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28.10.11

Today I thought I’d ponder the lovely pastime of kissing. Not just a peck on the cheek kiss, no, but those lovely, deep, sensual mating of mouths between lovers - or potential lovers.

Kissing is so physically romantic and I adore writing the kissing scenes into my books. The characters kiss because they are ridiculously attracted to one another and are compelled to satisfy a hunger which is as natural as the need for food. I hope my readers enjoy the kissing action too, especially the first kiss between a couple after the build-up of sexual tension.

Olden day scientists believed that lovers found kissing pleasurable because when the two lips met an electric current was generated. Of course we now know this to be completely untrue but studies have shown that when two people embrace and kiss, hormones are released into the blood stream which immediately induces a sense of euphoria when you feed on the sweetness of your partner’s mouth.

But not all kisses are happy events. Works of literature like "Romeo and Juliet" have portrayed kisses as dangerous or deadly. Some folklorists and literary critics view vampirism as symbolic of the physical and emotional dangers that can come from kissing the wrong person.

Even so anthropologists report that 90 percent of the people in the world kiss. Most people look forward to their first romantic kiss and remember it for the rest of their lives. Parents kiss children, worshippers kiss religious artifacts and couples kiss each other. Some people even kiss the ground when they get off an airplane!

Kissing releases the same neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain) as intense exercise, like parachuting or distance running. The heart beats faster and breathing becomes deep and irregular.

Saliva crawls with microscopic bacteria (single-cell organisms) that enter from air, food, and dirty hands. Between 10 million and 1 billion colonies (groups of bacteria) are swapped with each smooch! But saliva also contains antibacterial chemicals that kill most bacteria before the germs are exchanged in a kiss – Phew!!!

A simple pucker uses two muscles, the upper and lower orbicularis otis surrounding the lips. A passionate kiss uses all 34 facial muscles.

Until the 1400s, kissing under mistletoe was a big commitment. Such kisses often meant that a couple was engaged.

The Romans even came up with three different categories for kissing: Osculum was a kiss on the cheek. Basium was a kiss on the lips. Savolium was a deep kiss.

A Light Hearted Look At Bad Kisses

The Roto Rooter: Their tongue ventures so far down your throat that it actually begins to choke you.

The Rooster: They begin to kiss you, then suddenly pull way . . .lean forward, then draw back!

The Swordfish: They operate their tongue much like a swordfish uses it's snout, in a blunt and violent manner.

The Grouper: As they kiss you, their lips (which could require their own zip code) completely engulf yours.

The Deep Sea Diver: They rarely come up for air.

The Lizard: Their tongue darts in and out of your mouth like a reptile probing for its next victim.

Frozen in Time: They never change the position, posture or angle of their head. It is as if they have mastered kissing cryogenics.

The Squid: They seem to excrete an awful flavor. All you can think of is how to slip them a breath mint.

The Wrecking Ball: They kiss like a battering ram. Whoa, look out, here they come again!

I hope you don’t encounter these types of scary smackers and instead may all your kisses be delicious, perfect, sensual, erotic and sweet forever more.

26.10.11

There are often times in life when we question ourselves and the things we do—how did I get here? What is wrong with me? Why on earth did I do that?

For me, these questions usually arise after recognising that something has gone very wrong or when I have done something completely nonsensical. The latest such example came when I had a manuscript returned by an editor and couldn’t believe all the mistakes I’d made.

Why is it so much easier to proof someone else’s work? I spend a good proportion of my time writing, editing and proofreading for others and I manage that perfectly successfully. In addition, I tend to find it quite easy to spot typos and mistakes in newspapers, books and even shop signage. In fact, I found so many typos in a true crime book I once read that I wrote to the publisher to offer my services as a proof reader. They politely declined, which I maintain they did out of embarrassment. Much like I do on getting back a manuscript I wrote and finding it littered with mistakes.

It makes me wonder whether the affliction of word-blindness actually exists. If so, I definitely have it. Does anyone know a doctor that specialises in the condition? I need a prescription.

When reading the work of someone else—especially when looking at it for the first time—it is easy to spot little mistakes. However, when it comes to one of my own manuscripts, I can get it back and look at it with barely fresh eyes only to see that I’d committed a whole range of extraordinary crimes against the English language. Or maybe it’s just easier to judge others to a harsher extent than we do ourselves.

For someone who has written many articles and several manuscripts of a variety of lengths, I should do better and, yet, I don’t. For all my efforts, I can’t see that changing, so all I can say is: editors—brace yourselves!

25.10.11

I have been going through old file cabinets this week. After twenty years of professional writing, I have plenty of file cabinets, and they are all full to the brim. In fact, I was going through those cabinets to create more room!

But what I intended to be a short cleaning session turned into two days, and now I have various stacks of paper all over my desk. And my writing life has found a whole new batch of stories just begging to be written.

For several years I would put aside manuscripts that just didn't have that "vibe" or that "oomph" I was trying to achieve. I might get halfway through a very good story, but then something went wrong. A character went a little nuts. A plot went off the rails. Real life intervened and the story on the page faded from my priorities. Those manuscripts sat on my hard drive for a while, and then I printed them out (because even in this digital age, I am still a paper and pen kind of girl), and into the file cabinet they went.

At some point I let one of the most important rules of writing slip my mind: Get it down on paper, and then give it six months in a drawer. When you come back to it, your eyes are fresh and you see things you didn't see before.

In the case of some of these manuscripts, six months was long gone. Six years was more like it!

But the wait paid off, because now I am looking at the story of Boyd, the town bad-boy, and his very unlikely love interest. I'm reading the first 100 pages of the story of Amber, who lost a husband too young and is now trying to move forward into something new. I am getting into the tale of Maddie and Robert, who both have secrets that the rest of the world might not understand...

And suddenly, my writing future is once again full of characters that need a voice.

It's a good lesson to learn. Put away that manuscript that you've been stuck on and start on something new. Then come back to it a year from now and let the characters reach out to you. You'll find that over time, they have become more complex, more fun and hotter than they were the last time you saw them.

24.10.11

I don't know about you guys, but Mondays are so tough! I try to get ready Sunday night by finishing up laundry, checking book bags for unsigned permission slips, forgotten homework assignments...I'm sure you get the idea. Instead, I should be resting for the upcoming week!

I try to go to bed early, which is tough because I'm a night owl, but Monday doesn't care at all. She taunts me as I toss and turn through the night, unable to sleep as I think about all the things I need to accomplish when it's time to get up. I'm quite certain I hear Monday cackling gleefully as I open one eye to check the clock, hoping for just a few more moments of sleep before the day begins.

When I finally drag myself from the bed, yep, I'd hit the snooze button at least twenty times if I could, I try to forget about how warm the sheets feel around my body. I forget about the fact that I'd swear to anyone willing to listen that I just started REALLY sleeping like two hours prior and try to face my day with a smile. Sometimes this smile isn't always visible, I'm working on that.

I find this to be one of my greatest personal challenges. You see, I am not a morning person. It takes me a minute or two to get it together. If you're a morning person, I'm guessing you can't relate to the fact that I prefer not to talk before I've had at least one cup of coffee. Unfortunately, my kids aren't having that. Uh uh...they demand immediate answers to their questions that begin the very instant they see me out of bed. *Sigh*

What's a woman to do?

Sadly, I have no real answers. If you're like me, you just try to make the best of each morning...especially Monday mornings. I worship the coffee bean. I like to pour it tall. I like to add a grande amount of creamer in a venti effort to jumpstart my day. Sometimes it works and sometimes...well, sometimes, I wish I could just pull the covers over my head and sleep the entire day away.

Man, do I miss those rare moments in college. Yeah, those were the days. :-)

So, tell me are you a morning person like my husband? Can you jump out of bed with a whistle and a grin ready to tell jokes and sing with the birdies outside your window? Or are you more like me...cautiously waiting for the morning hours to give way to mid-afternoon when your coffee intake has finally brought you up to the speed of life?

22.10.11

For most of you reading the title of this post, lascivious thoughts just sprang to mind. Naughty you. <g> Sorry to disappoint, but today my post is directed to those out there who want to be a published author, but who have not yet reached this goal.

I have a question for you: “How bad do you want it?” Really, and truly?

This phrase has been with me for many, many years. It’s turned into my beacon, and it’s a constant reminder of my desire to be published. Those moments when I think I don’t want to write, I ask myself, how bad do I want to be a writer? My answer always throws me back on track.

Before I found my track, though, life threw me ups and downs. There were times I would stow away and write for days. Other times I’d go months without a significant written word. Yes, I had excuses. Yes, I had my reasons. Everything you could imagine, I would throw out there for not buckling down to write. I was in school full time, I worked full time, my relationship was too stressful to focus on writing, I had lost my job, I had been too depressed or too happy to stop to write. Damn, life’s simply too busy for me write! I would often bemoan the many roadblocks I created for myself. I lived in a constant spoiled pity-party and didn’t even know it.

So far, does any of this sound familiar? The excuses, the dreams, the whatever’s?

The older I became, the busyness of my life naturally increased as well. I did the “if I would have known then what I know now,” evaluation and it hit me, if I thought I didn’t have time to write when I was single, how could I think I’d have time to write now that I was married? Then, how could I have time to write when I had a baby? And on and on.

Down the road and three little wee ones later, I reversed the evaluation. I knew that a couple years down the road my life would be even more full, and I’d inevitably look back to “now,” and cry over the fact I could have been writing.

Well, for me, during this time I was not making excuses because I didn’t want to be a published author, but I made excuses because I didn’t want my dream bad enough.

Wow.

Let me say that again. I did not want my dream bad enough.

This little nugget of wisdom, as hard as it was for me to swallow, woke me up to my reality. I realized, deep down, I wanted my dream and damn it, I had to get off my ass and stop making excuses and write.

So this is what I did. Ready?

I made the time to write, and I wrote. So simple, but so freaking hard. I finally made writing a priority.

At first, I screwed up. I deleted a lot, threw away a lot of paper. I cried that my stories weren’t going anywhere. Then I finally put together some stories that made sense. I had my writing critiqued. A lot. I edited. A lot. I revised. I submitted. ~stop~ I made it this far. I went through the process of submitting my writing for consideration for publication.

Then I received my rejections. My, “no thank you’s.” My, “try again some other time,” and even, “you’re not what our readers want.” Ouch. On the outside, I expected this as I’d heard about rejection chains from everyone. Inside, it hurt. I think it does for everyone who makes themselves vulnerable in such a way. But I didn’t give up because I wanted my dream too much.

I edited and revised and submitted some more and finally – finally, found my first home. Here at TEB in fact, with a contemporary ménage, The Deciding Factor.

Now, almost a year later, I am multi-published with plans for more stories to see publication in the next year. I am here. I am published – hear me roar! <g>

At this point, I’ve succeeded in accomplishing my goal of being published, but my dream is not over. Not by a long shot. Now the dream adjusts and rearranges itself. Now my dreams include how many stories, what kinds of stories, where and what can I do that was better than before? I don’t want to fade away. Not yet. I’m just beginning. Okay, I’ll admit I’m not as prolific as I want to be, but I’m writing every chance I can. Even if my publishing list is minor compared to other authors, that’s alright. I do what I can, when I can. And I. Am. Loving. Every. Minute. You will too.

On a closing note, maybe you need to sit down and be honest with yourself. Do you truly have the dream to be published – and to do all that getting there and staying there entails? If not, that’s okay. Recognize this and move on. Enjoy reading as opposed to writing. You’ll discover other dreams.

For those of you who do want this bad enough, remember, let nothing stand in your way. Every writer is busy in some way or another. Let’s put it this way, if I can find the time to write around: home schooling three children, a husband who works nights, taking care of my aging parents, being active in my church, being active in my kids extracurricular activities, not to mention the various tasks of day-to-day life, you can find the time to write as well.

21.10.11

In one of the most iconic romances of all time, Shakespeare penned a couple of the most recognized and widely-quoted lines for his doomed heroine Juliet to utter to her Romeo: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet." When I decided to submit my first erotic romance to a publisher, my most difficult task turned out to be choosing a pseudonym. Whether I would choose a pen name was never a question: I both wanted and needed to keep my writing world and my other worlds from colliding. Oh, not just for the usual “I’m writing sex scenes and my day job runs conservative, oh my…!” No, I enjoy slipping into this other persona at odd hours – sometimes hours on end -- when I immerse myself into the worlds I create for all these characters crowding to get out of my head and into print. Leaving one Claire at the door when I sit down at my computer and morph into Maria-Claire Payne is no different than switching hats among my varied roles during the usual life experiences that make up each day: mom, teacher, friend, co-worker, mentor, lover….The name “Maria-Claire Payne” defines a role that’s just as crucial a piece of the “real” me as “mom” defines another critical piece of my “ true identity” – albeit Maria-Claire gets to have all sorts of filthy fun that maybe the off-spring aren’t quite ready to equate with “mom” ;) Besides…isn’t one of the reasons we love reading hot romance is to find a brief respite from reality and move into a fantasy? I love all of my realities…but there are so many variations of roses to experience out there, all of which smell so sweet….Why limit myself to just one? Choosing a pseudonym isn’t hiding my essential self from my readers: it’s laying bare the most critical aspect of me – my writing self – for our mutual pleasure in sharing these people and worlds I create, people and worlds I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

20.10.11

I love love love to dress up, one of the things that I can really get myself into and excited for is a themed party or dress up event of some kind. So of course Halloween is one of my favorite times of year. It can be a wonderful way to relax and escape reality for a night to dress up and be someone else. Can be fun out in public or just around the house or just in the bedroom. The liberties and freedom a costume can give you to act like you never would if it was just you being you, that is what makes it such an exciting prospect.

This year I bought a cute little prisoner's costume, a short bright orange dress. My idea was to get some handcuffs, perhaps of the fuzzy variety and my hubby would dress as a corrections officer to go with. Could lead to some fun role play as well as a great couples costume....

It would be hard for me to pick my all time favorite costume. Looking back at my costumes as a kid, most that my mom made for me, I think one of my very favorites must have been from when I was like 4 years old and I was a smurf! So very in right now too, it was so damn cute definitely one of my old favorites. As an adult I love my Red Queen corset that I made for my daughter's Alice in Wonderland dress up birthday party when she turned 5.

What are your favorite costumes? As a child or adult what did you dress up as and pretend to be? What is the ultimate Halloween fantasy costume for you?

19.10.11

Those of you who are – like me – stuck in an evil day job, trying to write in the evenings and on the weekends, may know the feeling. You are sitting in a meeting (or talking to a customer on the phone, or giving a sales presentation, or [insert inappropriate work-related situation here]… ) when inspiration strikes. This may seem like a minor problem for writers of dull … er … respectable historical novels or crime stories, or even science fiction, who could probably just slink off into a corner or jot down a few notes on their napkin during coffee break. It can be a major embarrassment for writers of erotic romance fiction. First of all, you may not want to show to your colleagues what exactly you’re scribbling on you notepad during that boring meeting or after lunch in the cafeteria. And even if you’re resisting the urge to take notes, there’s the slight problem of where your thoughts are wandering off to.

When inspiration hits me, it is usually in the form of people having sex - very hot and steamy sex - sometimes really kinky sex. Imagine me, sitting in a meeting trying to look respectably bored while there’s a full blown orgy going on in my head. My heroine is tied to the bed while two hot men are exploring her body with their mouths, licking every inch, then deliciously nipping her most sensitive spots. I’ve found myself gripping the arms of my chair with both hands, trying to keep the excitement level down. Sometimes my characters decide to get stark naked and down to business right there in front of me on the meeting room table. My fingers are itching to write down every saucy detail, while I’m desperately trying to keep track of the discussion. One of these days I’m going to pop out a highly inappropriate observation about nipple clamps and anal beads in answer to a sales-related question from my boss or ask someone to pass me that buttplug at a working lunch. You just wait for it!

Incidentally, the heroine of my next story has a similar problem. (See how smoothly I managed to sneak a little self-advertising into this post :-) ). “The Accidental Sub” is due for release in the Subspace Anthology on 14 November. I’m sooo excited to be in the anthology with incredibly hot writers like Desiree Holt, Sierra Cartwright and Jan Irving and I can’t wait for it to come out! I’ll post more details on my blog, A DARK KIND OF DESIRE soon. And I'll be back here with an excerpt from my freshly released story next month on the 19th!

Do your thoughts keep straying during meetings? Do you daydream of hot sex at work? I’d love to hear your opinion on this in the comments!

18.10.11

The other day I took evaluation of some things. As I went over what has been happening in my life lately I'm at a good place. The place where I feel a sense of relief, accomplishment, and all around happy. I am taking time to appreciate and be thankful. My belief once again has been proven. The way you are with others will shape what happens to you. Negativity or plain ugliness is such an unnecessary thing. No, I’m not saying you should be Pollyanna all the time. Just be an good person. A positive one as much as you can. Yes shit happens and life sometimes sucks but at least you are living. So live instead of trying to break others down. Build them up.

This is a very basic thing. It will help you get to the place you need to be that lets you know life no matter the bumps in the road is there for all to enjoy.

17.10.11

My name is Lisabet, and I write smut. Okay, I know that some of my colleagues will demur at my use of that term. It sounds sleazy and socially reprehensible - almost as bad as "porn". As far as the most of the world is concerned, though, anyone who pens sexually explicit fiction gets lumped into the same category: deviant, depraved, dangerous individuals who undermine the moral integrity of the country, corrupt youth, threaten the family, spread disease, increase unemployment, cause halitosis, and make milk sour before its expiration date. We're the Enemy (or one manifestation thereof), responsible for the decline of Western civilization and the national debt, damned and destined for Hell.

We authors of erotic romance like to believe that we're somehow better than the folks who write letters to Hustler, because our books are concerned with more than just sex. We're focused on emotion, connection, relationships and conflicts, love as well as desire. We're as interested in the process as in the consummation. Our work is deeper, more significant and meaningful than garden-variety porn - not to mention much better written. I have news for you. All this may be true, but it doesn't matter.

Our literary aspirations are no protection. We can still lose our jobs if someone discovers our dirty little secret. Our kids can be harassed and abused by their classmates. It's difficult enough growing up these days. Imagine what it would be like to have to deal with the shame of having your parent labeled as a pornographer.

If we write GLBT or BDSM fiction, we're even more at risk. There are horrific but true tales of authors who have been driven out of their communities by narrow-minded neighbors who didn't want "that sort" of people in their town. I personally know several authors whose websites have been closed down because of the "objectionable" content. Sex that goes beyond the straight, vanilla norm is doubly demonized.

Hence the need for pseudonyms and anonymity. I'd love to let more of my friends and family members know about my writing career, but I recognize that I add to the risk of exposure every time I let someone know my real identity. I wish I didn't have to slink around, cover my tracks, or think so carefully about what I reveal in each blog post. I'm proud of my writing. When I have a new release, I'd like to claim it as my own, in my real name. But I force myself to be careful, because I have a lot to lose.

Still, here at the Hot Spot, I can be myself. My name is Lisabet and I write erotic stories that will make you yearn and sweat. I write about men loving men, women loving women, ménage, group sex, fetishes, bondage and discipline. I'm fascinated by the many facets of desire and by the way sex shapes our lives, our perceptions, our very selves. The mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of sex interest me more than purely physical, but in practice, those distinctions are pretty meaningless. I write smut, graphic stories that don't pull punches or hide behind euphemisms.

16.10.11

Temporary Insanity one of the Tempting Temp series of books is due for release on the 24th October but can be pre-ordered now so you'll be one of the first to enjoy it on it's day of release. So, here's the blurb:

Two guys, a girl and an office sex bet.

Caroline hates working at Forbes and Richardson until she walks in on Matt and Connor kissing passionately against the photocopier. They admit they enjoy being watched and invite her to be the voyeur to their exhibitionism.

Watching leads to participation as the three of them agree on a bet that makes the working day all the more fun and definitely sexier. How brave is Caroline? What risks is she willing to take to get her ultimate prize –a threesome with the two hottest execs in the company.

Here's a little introduction to the three main characters in the story.

Caroline is a young lady who's between jobs. She's working at a temp agency and is moved from office to office, the latest one at Forbes and Richardson would be the worst yet with her main duties being that of a general dogsbody. Except Caroline has met two hunky guys and has an unusual bet with them which makes each work day a lot easier to bear.

Tall, dark and handsome Matt is professional, dominant and very cool and collected. He is The instigator of the bet and the guy in charge.

Connor is Matt's submissive boyfriend who enjoys being watched, spanked and is instantly attracted to Caroline. He might not be the one in charge but he is the one who makes things happen.

Don't forget to check out the free (and very hot) kissing scene on Erotic Whispers and I'll see you again next month with more Blisse news!

14.10.11

This month finds me stuck in writer's block hell, but I'm determined not to let it get to me. I've said many times, over the last many months, writer's block doesn't get to me. For years, it didn't. I guess it's my turn, though. Sigh!

So, instead of going on about what I'm working on or what new book I've dreamed up to create, I'm going to share a little of the vacation my husband and I just came back from. A very good friend of ours was working in Peace River, that's in northern Alberta for anyone not familiar with the geography of the place. This fellow follows the work, which has made it difficult on his wife and family, but since the mill closed down a couple of years ago, it became necessary. He'd taken his wife's small car, figuring to save on gas. He was supposed to be up their for only a couple of weeks. Then he'd be on his way home again.

As luck would have it, he wound up with a permanent job a little further north and east. For this one, he needed his truck. Problem being, how to get truck up there and car back to wife? Solution, US!

Hubby and I offered to drive his truck up to Peace River, as his wife really didn't want to do the long drive alone, and she's also not much of a driver type. We offered to do the switch, and make it into a kind of vacation. They paid the gas bill, we paid the rest. It worked out beautifully for all of us.

We took 2 days to get to Peace River, and what a hellish long drive it was. As many of you know, I live on Vancouver Island. Just getting off the island takes time.

The trip up was just hours of driving and not much else. Once we'd switched vehicles, we got to settle back and do some tourist stuff. And take pictures!

These were taken in Jasper Nation Park

Big Horn Sheep

Coyote

Bull elk

And that's about it. Of course, I've got hundreds more, but jeeze, I don't want to bore you. Besides, hubby takes better pictures. Sigh! I hope you enjoyed a peak into the beautiful interior of BC.

11.10.11

I'm bad. I love covers. I love to look at what everyone else is doing and just admire the sensuality of them. Here at TEB we are lucky to have the best art department. I've never been let down and look forward to the visit from the cover faery almost as much as Christmas. I'm sure there are those who say, you shouldn't buy based on cover alone. They might be right, but for me, if the cover doesn't grab me...I have a short attention span. I'll keep moving. If it grabs me, I'm likely to find a new to me author and a great read. Here's some I found on the TEB site that, yeah, all on my TBR list.

This one for me is all about the color. I couldn't look away from this one. Just based on the cover I want to know more about the book. Plus a nice set of man abs are always appealing.

It's simple, pretty and I love how the scarves are so fluid looking.

It's simple. A guy, hot chest, nice abs... snags me right away to read more. I love when this happens because then I find new to me authors and books I didn't realize I'd enjoy because I hadn't seen them yet.

Here's my latest work and a cover I honestly love! There's lots going on in the cover, but it's pretty. The sensuality shows the three. The eyes grab you in this work. Like, hmm...what's he thinking about...who is she looking at.

Three is their magic number. Now they’ve got to decide if the magic is worth saving.

Razrs Edge packed stadiums, fuelled by the inner turmoil and passion of the three founding members. The lights aren’t as bright and the crowds cheer a little less now that the threesome has parted ways.

It’s time to bring the magic back.

Parkur’s not convinced the split is for good. They were meant to be three. But can he write the music to convince Juniper and Jacoby to give him a second chance? Juniper and Jacoby want the triad intact. Is the love they shared as three enough to erase the destruction in their collective past?

Contains two heroes hell bent on making sweet music with the woman of their dreams, the rediscovery of passion between three people, hot manlove and ménage action, a little spanking, some toy play, and some bondage...oh yes...Get your own copy right here!

What are some of your favorite covers? Why? Let me know. I'd love to chatter about it. :-)

9.10.11

It's October, and over here in the UK it's finally getting cold, so I'm working on generating some heat. In my recent writing I've been working on slower build-ups to sex scenes.

Surprisingly, it isn't something I've had to deal with much. A lot of my scenes have either been highly choreographed (the ménage scenes immediately leap to mind) or highly passionate, which means a much faster pace. Often in my head they burst out of their clothes like Superman.

However, passionate as the scenes I'm writing are, they need atmosphere. Two are brand new relationships and need to move tentatively; one is with a married couple whose desire for each other is more of a constant than a sudden flash. And one involves a partner who, under normal circumstances, I wouldn't particularly be attracted to, so to make it erotic I need to work a lot harder.

I'm actually enjoying it. This is the first chance I've had to write tortuous teasing, kisses and touches that show a deep knowledge of their partner's pleasure zones, a slow burn of excitement building to a crescendo. And it contrasts nicely with the horrible cold weather outside, with the gusts of wind that make my window rattle just when I'm trying to focus.

8.10.11

My husband and I are on our way to go camping. I recently discovered that “camping” is a distinctly American pastime and only a select few other cultures regularly pack up loads of gear and head out to the woods for a relaxing time away from home. I have to admit, I was never a big fan of camping when I was younger or when my kids were little, but now, I rather enjoy it.

In truth, I prefer camping lite.We own a pop-up camper (for those of you unfamiliar with the term, it’s a hard sided camper with canvas sides and a hard top which easily “pops up”). This way, I can enjoy a campfire but sleep on a double bed, eat breakfastat a real table and, assuming we are staying somewhere with electric hook ups, enjoy the comforts of air condition or an electric blanket depending upon the weather. I still have to walk a bit to use the flush toilets and shower house, AND I squeal like a girl if I see a grand daddy long legs on the wall, but I can deal with some primitive conditions in order to enjoy the overall benefits of the experience.

I’m particularly excited about this little 4 day get away since we will be staying at Giant City in Southern Illinois; a state park filled with beautiful foliage, ancient hiking trails and a lodge which serves local wines and a can’t be beat fried chicken dinner! We had hoped that friends would be joining us, but since that didn’t work out, I’m guessing we’ll enjoy enough privacy to have some red hot outdoors monkey sex! Yay!!! Call me primitive, but there’s just something about bending over, holding onto the rough bark of an ancient oak and

screaming out my pleasure with only the birds and other fauna as witnesses that makes my blood heat and juices flow!

Also, Southern Illinois now boasts many local wineries, so in the afternoons we will be visiting a number of these fine establishments, partaking of their splendid offerings and enjoying the blissful strains of live music. Actually, I loved this area so much that I set my next book, Discovering Pleasure, in this region. The book is scheduled to be released sometime in January, but in the meantime, I hope you visit some of links below and see for yourself what Southern Illinois has to offer.

7.10.11

Because, okay, I was wrong. Way back in one of my early posts here on the hotspot, I swore I would never find anything sexy about airports.

But then Valentine and Lucy happened. You remember them, right?

Valentine's the incorrigible tease who's appeared in His Christmas Present and my free story Fizz, as well as in his very own story Taking It Off. And Lucy's the toppy American troublemaker who has him in her thrall.

We last saw them beginning a long-distance relationship in Taking It Off:

Valentine scanned the room from his vantage point at the bar. Still no sign of her and only one thing for it, he thought, ordering a whiskey and soda. He’d started his second when she sauntered in.

Her blue-striped blouse was open at the neck in a daring plunge down to her breastbone. The pencil skirt, the grey of it pearly in the mood light, flirted with her knees. Then sheer, nude stockings down to the Louboutins, their red soles flashing with every step and giving her the height to carry off the whole feminine miracle of her ensemble.

“Fuck,” Valentine said succinctly, because, well, fuck.

Now, they're back in Fly Baby, a free read I've written especially for Total E-Bound's October newsletter. The story's set at a surprisingly sexy airport, and you can find it in the newsletter here. Wondering what Lucy wears in this one? Here's a hint: she's mostly naked.

But what if you're not looking for romantic and sexy this month, if you'd rather have your erotica with a hint of teeth and a scratch of nails? My October release Temporary Truce will hit that not-so-sweet spot with the ultimate in competitive kink.

Between a cock and a hard case.

The rivalry between Caroline Kildaire and Hilary Swift is as infamous in London legal circles as their rumoured affair. And while a professional partnership would make them unbeatable, attempts to work together always turn to personal warfare.

With only forty-eight hours to coax a temporary truce, young facilitator Adam Bloom surrenders to their sexually-charged tension. He's risking it all to be the lucky man in the middle, hoping he doesn't get caught in the crossfire first.

If there's one thing the hot-tempered lawyers can agree on, it's that Adam's a tempting reward for cooperation. But in bending over for peace, he's sparked their next battle: who gets to the top.

I'm giving away the choice of a PDF of either Taking It Off or Temporary Truce to a random commenter who answers the following question: in which city's airport do Lucy and Valentine have their erotic rendezvous in Fly Baby? Good luck! I'll pick a winner on the 17th October.

4.10.11

Life is full of first times. Walking, talking, meeting a boy (or girl)…or both. First dates, first kisses, first dances, first…I mean we could go on, right? But I think you get the idea.

I’ve had all those firsts in my life, too. And more. These past few years has seen me face quite a few new things as I embarked on my writing career and took those very first baby steps into the big kid’s sandbox. And don’t get me wrong! I fell on my ass more than a few times, even got pushed over, whether on purpose or by accident as someone barrelled past me on their way to the prize I was also seeking.

It’s all good. Playground life can be rough, and so can publishing. I’ll tell you what, though: the same things your mom told you when someone knocked you down when you were a kid still apply. You can push back, or you can get up and keep going. Carve your own path, brush off the dirt and “walk it off” as they say.

I like to think for the most part, I’ve chosen the latter route. Am I a world famous author? Well….no. Do I want to be? Um…I don’t think so. Am I chuffed that people have said they’ve read my books and are looking forward to meet me? Hell yeah! Who wouldn’t be?

See, this coming week, I’m embarking on another raft of firsts for me. My first plane trip unaccompanied, my first hotel stay without a convenient husband/brother/other family member to make sure I don’t lose my key card, my very first writer’s conference. Really, this one is more of an extended meet-and-greet. You see, I’ll be attending the first annual Gay Romantic Literature Retreat in New Orleans, or GayRomLit as it’s already become known, because that’s just easier to remember.

Once again, I feel like I’m about to step into the big kids’ play ground. I’m a bit terrified. A bit excited. A lot giddy. Not sure if I’ll be able to hold my own, but I do know that there are some kids in this particular section who have already held out a hand in welcome, even invited me to sit at their table and tag along with them. Like so many of my experiences so far in this journey through the publishing world, as uncertain as I’ve ever been, there have been so many people willing to show me the way, to help me along, I have never felt like I was doing it all alone, even if I am the only one who can actually put one foot in front of the other and move myself forward.

And that’s why I’m pushing my baby ass out of my comfortable nest and taking this flight. I have a whole basket-load of “thank you’s” to dish out in New Orleans. I can’t wait.

I’m pretty sure this is going to go up there on my memory wall along with my wedding, my kids’ births, and that very first published story. What about you all? What’s up on that memory wall of firsts for you?